Ulrich dernell and william dernell



(No Model.)

U. & W. DERNELL. DEVICE EOE PRBSERVING AND DISPLAYING VEGETABLE PRODUCTS.

Patented July 1, 1890.

(b mun 2/22 iii-E57? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULRICH DERNELL AND WVILLIAIWI DERNELL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; SAID ULRICH DERNELL ASSIGNOR TO SAID WVILLIAM DERNELL.

DEVICE FOR PRESERVING AND DISPLAYING VEGETABLE PRODUCTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,509, dated July 1, 1890.

, Application filed July 1,1889. Serial No. 316,211. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that We, ULRICH DERNELL and WILLIAM DERNELL, both of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Preserving and Displaying Vegetable Products; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to devices for preserving and displaying vegetables, fruits, flowers, and analogous garden products; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be fully set forth hereinafter, and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the preferred form of our device. Fig. 2 is a detail section view, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

A isthe base-pan, made, preferably, of wood,

with a zinc lining a, mounted on legs I), (which may have casters or rollers 0 attached to them, if desired,) the surface of the pan preferably inclining to same point, as toward the center, and-there fitted with a drain-pipe B, having a perforated top (1, and surrounded by a wire or other guard C to prevent leaves, twigs, &c., which may fall into the pan from getting into and clogging up the drain-pipe B.

D is the base-frame of the preserving-case, made, preferably, of wood, (although we may employ metal, when desired, in place of wood throughout the device,) and this base-frame is preferably of rectangular shape suspended above the pan A, and with its lower edges below the upper edges of said pan by hangers or bracket-arms e e, and the said case being provided with an upper rectangular frame E,

corresponding to the frame D, and united thereto by windows and glass-door frames F, with panes or panels of glass ff therein, as shown, so that all four of the outer sides of the case will be of glass, except only the wood or metal frames.

In the preferred form illustrated in the drawings we show an intermediate partition F, extending from transverse upper board E to transverse base-board D, so as to make a compartment at one end of the case, the partition F having panes or panels of glass f f,

which completely shut offthis end from the balance of the case. G is a hinged top fitting over the entire case and provided with ventilating openings g, covered with gauze or wirecloth 9'. I

H H represent a series of wire or analogous screens, which extend across the chief portion of the case between one end and the par tition F and from side to side, and are removably supported on hooks h 71', forming a vertical series of shelves to receive vegetables. In the lesser or cut-oft portion of the case there are similar shelves H H, which are similarly arranged by being supported on hooks h and transverse strips h in vertical series; but in addition to the hooks h the partition F is provided on this side with aseries of hooks I I, arranged about midway of the hooks h h, for supporting said shelves H in an inclined position, when desired, the said shelves having upturned outer edges z to retain their contents when in this inclined position.

The top G is perforated near the front edge and at about the center of the main portion of the case for the reception of screw-threaded end j of the Water-pipe J (leading from any suitable source of water-supply under pressure,) which is secured in place by the nuts j j, as shown, the lower part of this pipe end j receiving upper interiorly screwthreaded end of the nozzle K, which has a central bore k, terminating to the diameter of a pin-point, and exterior screw-threads to re-- ceive the collar m of a frame M, carrying an atomizer-cone L, the parts K and M being screwed together till the cone L is almost in contact with the minutely-perforated end 01": the nozzle K, the result being that when water is admitted to the pipe J it is distributed in a fine spray all about the upper part of the case, falling upon the Vegetables on the upper screen-shelf H and dropping through that upon the successive series of screenshelves below.

N is a trough, of zinc, tin-plate, or other suitable material, secured to the upper frame E and having end branches at extending back against the end portion and partition F of the case, so that any surplus water will be directed toward said points and trickle down over the glass panes or panels thereof, as i11- dicated by the arrows, finally falling into the base-pan A along with that dropping through the screens H. The obj eet of this is to keep the panes or panels cool, especially the panes f of the partition F, there being no water admitted into the cutoff division of the case, which is especially intended for fruit and berries (either in boxes or laid directly on the screenshelves H) and which are desired to be kept cool, but not wet. In cases where vegetables only are to be preserved we may dispense With the fruit-holding portion of the case or remove the partition F and extend the shelves H across the entire interior of the case; but ordinarily We make the cases just as illustrated, the Water which falls from the trough branches it over the glass of the partition serving to keep the fruit-holding division at the proper low temperature.

A further advantage of the described troughs and branches lies in the fact that thereby all drops of water or larger particles thereof than spray are prevented from falling on the vegetables, butare guided, as described, down the glass ends of the compartment.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device for preserving and displaying vegetable products, the combination, With an independent base-pan, of a glazed case supported above said base-pan, a trough With lateral end branches attached to the upper part of the case, a series of independent removable screen-shelves supported Within the case, and a Water-pipe projecting into the case above the trough and upper screen-shelf and terminating in a nozzle and an atomizing-cone, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State-of WVisconsin, and at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, respect ively, in the presence of two Witnesses.

ULRICH DERNELL. WILLIAM DERNELL.

Witnesses to signature of Ulrich Dernell:

H. G. UNDERWOOD, NVM. KLUG.

\Vitnesses to signature of William Dernell:

S. VAN ZANDT, WM. I-I. PIERsON. 

